Bargaining

2020/07/23

EB group reaches tentative agreement

July 23, 2020

PSAC has reached a tentative agreement that provides increases to wages, no concessions, and improved working conditions for nearly 1,000 members of the Education and Library Science (EB) group under Treasury Board.

In addition to these successful talks, EB members will also be awarded a Phoenix damages settlement to compensate members for the pain and suffering caused by the broken pay system. Please read the update which provides greater detail on the general Phoenix compensation portion of the settlement, as well as the expansion of the claims process for out-of-pocket expenses and for those who suffered major losses because of Phoenix.

EB Group settlement

The PSAC bargaining team successfully secured fair wage increases averaging at 2.11% per year. EB group members would receive the following wage increases:
2018 2019 2020
2.8% 2.2% 1.35%

In addition to these wage increases, the following group-specific wage adjustments and allowances were also secured: 

Implementation of a new, national pay grid for 12-month teachers and instructors.

Other improvements to the EB collective agreement include: 

Increase in maternity related reassignment or leave qualification from 52 to 78 weeks following the birth of a child
A new leave provision for members elected to union leadership
An increase in meal allowance for overtime from $9 to $12
Set timelines for receiving a response to vacation leave requests
Improvements to travel time to pay for up to five hours of compensation for any stop-overs
Language that emphasizes the importance of professional development activities, such as conferences and workshops, for LS members
Commitment from the Employer to consult with the Union in the next review of Treasury Board’s policy on indemnification
Commitment from the Employer to prepare informational material on employees’ injury on duty rights and benefits
Ability for ED-EST ten-month teachers to use their personal leave in 7.5 or 3.75 segments (Article 60)
An MOU for a Joint Committee to address the issues related to teaching time and preparation time for Language Teachers (ED-LAT)
An MOU for a Joint Committee to address the teaching of indigenous languages for 10-month teachers at INAC
Increases to funding for the Joint Learning Program, including a pilot study on health and safety training

Common issues settlement

Two weeks ago, when we obtained a settlement for the PA group, PSAC also reached a settlement for Treasury Board issues common to all groups. Some of the key improvements include:

A one-time payment of $500 in recognition of the extended collective agreement implementation deadline and an additional $50 for every subsequent 90-day delay
Ten days of paid Domestic Violence Leave
Better language on return to work following a Maternity or Parental Leave, giving more flexibility to parents who wish to change positions within the federal public service
Improvements to Parental Leave pay
Updated language to match the new legislation including a new extended leave option and the sharing of Parental Leave
Expanded supplementary allowance for every week an employee is on extended or shared Parental Leave
Additional weeks for parents covered under the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan, when both parents work in the public service
New Memorandum of Understanding to explore the issues related to childcare in the public service
Updated and improved language to match the new legislation on Compassionate Care and Caregiving Leave
Better language to allow the use of employer facilities for union activities
New Memorandum of Understanding to protect certain working conditions of civilian members of the RCMP
New Memorandum of Understanding on mental health in the workplace to support the work of the Centre for Expertise on Mental Health
In the event of workforce adjustment, the education allowance has increased to $17,000
Deletion of Memorandum of Understanding on Supporting Employee Wellness. As a result, Sick Leave will remain untouched.

Full text and next steps

We will share the final text and full details of the EB group tentative agreement, and common issues agreement, as soon as it becomes available. Shortly thereafter, EB members will be invited to participate in online ratification votes. Details about the votes will be shared as soon as possible.

The PSAC bargaining team unanimously recommends the ratification of the tentative agreement.

To ensure that you receive all updates and can participate in the ratification process, please ensure that you have either updated your contact information on PSAC’s member portal, or that you create an account if you have not done so already.

Source: psacunion.ca/eb-group-reaches-tentative-agreement

2020/07/232020/08/19

PA group ratification kit (full text of agreement) now available

July 23, 2020

On July 9, PSAC’s PA bargaining team reached a tentative agreement with Treasury Board. The bargaining team unanimously recommends ratification of the new agreement.

The ratification kit which includes the full text of the tentative agreement is now available for download.

Members will soon be invited to participate in an online ratification process. Details will be shared as soon as they are available.

Attachment:
2020-07-22_pa_ratification_kit.pdf

Source: http://psacunion.ca/pa-group-ratification-kit-full-text-agreement-now?_ga=2.41449570.1537710897.1595358281-1121130890.1580157739

2020/07/21

TC group reaches tentative agreement

July 21, 2020

PSAC has reached a tentative agreement that provides a fair wage increase, no concessions, and improved working conditions for the nearly 10,000 members in the TC group.

In addition to these successful talks, TC members will also be awarded a Phoenix damages settlement to compensate members for the pain and suffering caused by the broken pay system. Please read the update which provides greater detail on the general Phoenix compensation portion of the settlement, as well as the expansion of the claims process for out-of-pocket expenses and for those who suffered major losses because of Phoenix.

TC group settlement

PSAC’s bargaining team successfully secured fair wage increases averaging at 2.11% per year. TC group members would receive the following wage increases:

2018 2019 2020

2.8% 2.2% 1.35%

In addition to those wage increases, the following group-specific wage adjustments and allowances were also secured: 

EG parity with CFIA: Although we were not able to achieve parity, we have secured a commitment that we can file for arbitration on this issue outside of regular bargaining. We can do so as early as June 2021. We feel that we have very strong arguments to make the case to achieve parity for EG members.
Occupational allowances for the following groups shall increase to $3,534:
Fishery Officers (Appendix Z)
Environment and Wildlife Enforcement Officers (AA)
Labour Affairs Officers (DD)
Measurement Canada Inspectors (EE)
Increase to allowance for Search and Rescue coordinators in a Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (CC) to $5,354; expansion of allowance to supervisors, and to qualified EG and GT hovercraft crew members
Expansion of allowance for Enforcement and Wildlife Officers at Environment Canada to cover GT-06 and GT-07 levels (AA)
Expansion of the $2,500 allowance to cover all EG and TIs working in fleet maintenance facilities (BB) including those at 202 Workshop Depot
Expansion of the allowance for Labour Affairs Officers to cover TI-06 levels (DD)
Expansion of the allowance to TI employees at the Canadian Grain Commission (EE)
Improvement in allowance for certain shore-based positions at the Canadian Coast Guard (W): increase of ~$2,100 to the amounts payable to the GT-06 and GT-07 level and expansion in scope.
Improvement to Transportation of Dangerous Goods allowance, now payable as a monthly allowance of $75 rather than a daily allowance of $3.50.

Other improvements to the TC collective agreement include: 

Several leave improvements including for a person who stands in place of a relative for:
Leave without Pay for the Care of the family
Bereavement Leave
Leave with Pay for Family-Related Responsibilities
An increase in meal allowance for overtime from $10 to $12
Improvements to travel time to pay for up to five hours compensation for any stop-overs
Employees in the Sea Lamprey Control Unit (Appendix I): Improvement in overtime compensation – 1.75X rate will be paid during field season
Increases to funding for the Joint Learning Program, including a pilot study on health and safety training
Memorandum of Understanding for a Joint Study on employee support mechanisms for employees who in the course of their duties are exposed to explicit and disturbing material, and/or potentially threatening situations
Memorandum of Understanding for Joint Review of hours of work and applicability of travel status for Fishery Officers working offshore surveillance at DFO (Appendix C) to make proposals and inform next round of bargaining.
Deletion of language in Appendix K which places limits on when EGs can request vacation
Memorandum of Understanding regarding the Occupational Group Structure (OGS) review

Common issues settlement

Two weeks ago, when we obtained a settlement for the PA group, PSAC also reached a settlement for Treasury Board issues common to all groups. Some of the key improvements include:

A one-time payment of $500 in recognition of the extended collective agreement implementation deadline and an additional $50 for every subsequent 90-day delay
Ten days of paid Domestic Violence Leave
Better language on return to work following a Maternity or Parental Leave, giving more flexibility to parents who wish to change positions within the federal public service
Improvements to Parental Leave pay
Updated language to match the new legislation including a new extended leave option and the sharing of Parental Leave
Expanded supplementary allowance for every week an employee is on extended or shared Parental Leave
Additional weeks for parents covered under the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan, when both parents work in the public service
New Memorandum of Understanding to explore the issues related to childcare in the public service
Updated and improved language to match the new legislation on Compassionate Care and Caregiving Leave
Better language to allow the use of employer facilities for union activities
New Memorandum of Understanding to protect certain working conditions of civilian members of the RCMP
New Memorandum of Understanding on mental health in the workplace to support the work of the Centre for Expertise on Mental Health
In the event of workforce adjustment, the education allowance has increased to $17,000
Deletion of Memorandum of Understanding on Supporting Employee Wellness. As a result, Sick Leave will remain untouched.

Full text and next steps

We will share the final text and full details of the TC group tentative agreement, and common issues agreement, as soon as it becomes available. Shortly thereafter, TC members will be invited to participate in online ratification votes. Details about the votes will be shared as soon as possible.

The PSAC bargaining team unanimously recommends the ratification of the tentative agreement.

Source: http://psacunion.ca/tc-group-reaches-tentative-agreement

2020/07/15

Bargaining resumes for TC, EB & SV members

July 14, 2020

With the successful conclusion of bargaining for the Program and Administrative Services (PA) group, three more Treasury Board bargaining groups will be returning to their respective tables.

The Technical Services (TC) group and the Education and Library Science (EB) group have both resumed negotiations today and will be in bargaining until July 17. The Operational Services (SV) group will be resuming their negotiations the following week, July 21 to 24.

The TC group is looking for the following contract improvements:

Wage parity with comparable jobs
CFIA comparability for those classified as EGs
Group specific allowances
Fair classification and a new occupational group structure

The EB group is looking for the following contract improvements:

Wage parity with comparable jobs
New national rate of pay for teachers who work for 12 months (ED-EST)
Allowance for union members who teach Indigenous languages
Improvements to professional development

The SV group is looking for the following contract improvements:

Wage adjustments
Improved allowances
Hours of work (move from 40 to 37.5 hours per week – with no loss in total annual pay)
Protections against contracting out
No concessions

Updates for each group will be provided once negotiations for this round wrap up.

Source: http://psacunion.ca/bargaining-resumes-tc-eb-sv-members?_ga=2.44577956.1490531924.1594813664-722671214.1553177201

2020/07/10

Deal reached for Phoenix damages, PA group and common issues

July 9, 2020

In a victory for federal public service workers who have gone above and beyond to support Canadians during this pandemic, PSAC has reached a tentative agreement that provides fair wages, no concessions, and improved working conditions for the 70,000 members of the PA group, and Treasury Board common issues.

Alongside these successful talks, PSAC has also secured proper compensation for Phoenix damages to be paid to PSAC members for the pain and suffering caused by the broken pay system.

Phoenix damages

PSAC successfully negotiated a Phoenix damages settlement that is significantly better than the employer’s deal with other federal bargaining agents. Last year, PSAC rejected the government’s meagre offer of 5 days of cashable leave, which was too little and would have rewarded those who earn more while punishing workers who make less. The current agreement provides PSAC members with a fair and equitable lump sum payment of $2,500.

Unlike the tentative deal for Treasury Board bargaining that must be voted on by PSAC members in the near future, the Phoenix damages agreement required ratification by the PSAC National Board of Directors. The Board voted unanimously in favour of the offer on July 3, 2020.

Please read the following update which provides greater detail on the general Phoenix compensation portion of the settlement, as well as the expansion of the claims process for out-of-pocket expenses and for those who suffered major losses because of Phoenix.

PA Group settlement

The PSAC bargaining team successfully secured fair wage increases averaging at 2.11% per year.

PA group members would receive the following wage increases:

2018 2019 2020
2.8% 2.2% 1.35%

In addition to those wage increases, the following group-specific wage adjustments and allowances were also secured: 

Improved retention allowance expanded for all employees working in compensation operations to $3,500 per year
A new $3,000 annual allowance for armed Fishery Officers
A new Primary Responsibility Allowance of $2,000 per year for parole officers and parole officer supervisors

Other improvements to the PA collective agreement include: 

Increase in maternity related reassignment or leave qualification from 52 to 78 weeks following the birth of a child
Several leave improvements including for a person who stands in place of a relative for:
Leave without pay for the care of the family
Bereavement leave
Leave with pay for family-related responsibilities
A new leave provision for members elected to union leadership
An increase in meal allowance for overtime from $10 to $12
New language to clarify that the Employer shall provide an unpaid meal break of a minimum of thirty (30) minutes per full working day, normally at the mid-point of the working day
Renewal and update of a memorandum of understanding on a Joint Study on the Work Environment for Employees Working in Call Centres
New provision that provides call centre employees with training on crisis intervention and coping
Increases to funding for the Joint Learning Program, including a pilot study on health and safety training
Language that explicitly provides breaks for nursing employees (to nurse or express breast milk)
Memorandum of understanding for a Joint Study on employee support mechanisms for employees who in the course of their duties are exposed to explicit and disturbing material, and/or potentially threatening situations
Joint committee to review the use of Indigenous languages in the federal public service, examine Indigenous language skills in the performance of employee duties and consider the advantages that Indigenous language speakers bring to the public service
Memorandum of understanding regarding Occupational Group Structure (OGS) review

Common issues settlement

Alongside negotiations for the PA group, PSAC bargaining teams for the TC, EB and SV groups also joined talks to reach a settlement for Treasury Board issues common to all groups. Some of the key improvements include:

A one-time payment of $500 in recognition of the extended collective agreement implementation deadline and an additional $50 for every subsequent 90-day delay
10 days of paid domestic violence leave
Better language on return to work following a maternity or parental leave, giving more flexibility to parents who wish to change positions within the federal public service.
Improvements to parental leave pay

Updated language to match the new legislation including a new extended leave option and the sharing of parental leave
Expanded supplementary allowance for every week an employee is on extended or shared parental leave
Additional weeks for parents covered under the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan, when both parents work in the public service.

New memorandum of understanding to explore the issues related to childcare in the public service
Updated and improved language to match the new legislation on compassionate care and caregiving leave
Better language to allow the use of employer facilities for union activities
New memorandum of understanding to protect certain working conditions of civilian members of the RCMP
New memorandum of understanding on mental health in the workplace to support the work of the Centre for Expertise on Mental Health
In the event of workforce adjustment, the education allowance has increased to $17,000
Deletion of Memorandum of Understanding on Supporting Employee Wellness. As a result, sick leave will remain untouched.

Full text and next steps

In the coming days when the final text and full details of the tentative agreement for the PA group and common issues are available, they will be shared with the membership. PA members will shortly thereafter be invited to participate in online ratification votes. Details about the votes will be shared as soon as possible.

The PSAC bargaining team unanimously recommends the ratification of the tentative agreement.

To ensure that you receive all updates and can participate in the ratification process, please ensure that you have either updated your contact information on the PSAC’s member portal, or that you create an account if you have not done so already.

Other PSAC bargaining groups
Bargaining dates for the SV group will be announced in the weeks to come. Negotiations for the EB, TC and Canada Revenue Agency groups will resume next week.

Source: http://psacunion.ca/deal-reached-for-phoenix-damages-pa-group-common-issues

2020/02/052020/02/05

Public Interest Commission provides its recommendations for EB group

February 5, 2020

PSAC has now received the Public Interest Commission’s (PIC) recommendations on issues that are specific to the Education and Library Science (EB) group. The PIC’s recommendations on issues common to all Treasury Board groups will be made available when the Commission submits its recommendations for the Program and Administrative Services (PA) group.

While the PIC recommendations are non-binding, which means the union and/or the employer can accept or reject the recommendations, we are pleased to note that the PIC agreed with some of the union’s proposals specific to the EB group.

Wage parity with comparable jobs

While the PIC did not fully address all of our key demands around wage parity and adjustments, it recognized that the employer’s wage offer was inadequate for the two parties to reach an agreement.

New national rate of pay for teachers who work for 12 months (ED-EST)

The PIC also recommended that the new national rate of pay for 12-month teachers (ED-EST) be included in the new collective agreement. The PIC pointed out that a joint committee composed of both the employer and union representatives had already reached an agreement on a new national rate of pay and that this agreement should be implemented.

Allowance for union members who teach Indigenous languages

The PIC agreed with PSAC’s position that teachers who provide First Nation language instruction should be entitled to the specialization allowance. The Commission “was struck” by the fact that the union’s proposal aligns with the recommendations made by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and with the federal government’s Bill C-91, the Indigenous Languages Act.

Unfortunately, the PIC didn’t address many of PSAC’s proposals and even agreed to some of the employer’s concessions, such as on Education Leave Without Pay and Career Development. Other examples can be read in the full document on the PIC’s recommendations. In order to reach the fair deal that our members deserve, PSAC will continue to mobilize its membership through increased workplace action, up to and including a strike, until a fair settlement is reached. Stay up to date with the latest on bargaining by signing up for email updates.

Source: PSAC Website

2020/01/28

Parks Members Head to Public Interest Commission This Week

January 27, 2020

Parks Canada bargaining team members will head to their Public Interest Commission (PIC) hearings January 27, 28 and 30 in Ottawa. Parks members are one of nine PSAC bargaining units who are moving through the PIC process as negotiations reached an impasse last July.

During the hearings, PSAC will present our proposals for a fair and progressive collective agreement for Parks Canada workers, which includes:

A competitive wage increase
Introduce protections to guard against the impacts of Phoenix
Improvements to leave provisions, work-life balance, parity with the core public service, and improvements for seasonal workers
Access to domestic violence leave
Measures to achieve pay parity for Park Wardens and Park Warden Supervisors
An Indigenous language allowance
The creation of a joint committee on child care
A plan to further increase parity for Parks Canada by joining the National Joint Council

Watch members of the Parks negotiating team discuss the important issues on the table

What is a Public Interest Commission (PIC)?

Under the law that governs contract negotiations in the federal public service, once impasse is reached at the bargaining table, a PIC is established to help the parties reach an agreement.

The PIC is a panel of three people – a chairperson appointed by the Labour Board and nominees appointed by the union and management. The union and the employer submit briefs and explain their positions on the outstanding issues at a hearing with the PIC. The PIC then issues a report with recommendations for settlement. The recommendations are not binding. Once the PIC releases its reports for the various PSAC units, the union’s respective bargaining teams will meet to discuss the recommendations.

Stay up to date!

It’s important that all Parks Canada workers are receiving the latest bargaining news especially at this critical time in the process. You can help spread the word by:

Forwarding Parks bargaining emails
Sharing bargaining updates on social media like Facebook & Twitter
Encouraging your co-workers to check out the Parks bargaining webpage
Reminding fellow members to sign up to receive bargaining e-News

Source: PSAC

2020/01/142020/01/22

TB bargaining: PSAC heads into mediation

January 14, 2020

PSAC’s bargaining team representing 90,000 federal public service workers in the Program & Administrative Services (PA) unit has agreed to mediation on January 16 and 17.

The session is being convened by the Public Interest Commission (PIC) and will cover both common issues as well as those specific to the PA unit (information for the other Treasury Board units will be forthcoming).

PSAC and the government presented their respective bargaining positions at a PIC hearing on December 4-7.

PSAC will provide an update on the mediation session once it is complete.

What is a Public Interest Commission (PIC)?

Under the law that governs contract negotiations in the federal public service, once impasse is reached at the bargaining table, a PIC is established to help the parties reach an agreement.

The PIC is a panel of three people – a chairperson appointed by the Labour Board and nominees appointed by the union and management. The union and the employer submit briefs and explain their positions on the outstanding issues at a hearing with the PIC. The PIC chairperson also has the option of convening additional talks. The PIC then issues a report with recommendations for settlement. The recommendations are not binding.

Once the PIC releases its report, the union’s bargaining team will meet to discuss the recommendations. Traditionally, following this, PSAC and government representatives have returned to the table to resume negotiations. We expect the PIC reports to be issued in 2020.

Source: PSAC

2019/10/10

Labour Board sides with Parks Canada workers, moves forward with Public Interest Commission

The Federal Public Sector Labour Relations Board has upheld PSAC’s decision to declare impasse in Parks Canada bargaining. In August, the employer disputed PSAC’s determination that both parties had reached an impasse in bargaining. They sent a request to the Labour Board arguing that declaring impasse was “premature” and that both parties had not sufficiently bargained.

The Labour Board disagreed with the employer and denied their request to delay the establishment of a Public Interest Commission (PIC). In a letter outlining the verdict, the Labour Board stated that PSAC’s Parks Canada bargaining team had “negotiated sufficiently and seriously” and therefore they would be recommending the establishment of a PIC.

Employer backs out of mediation

Both PSAC and the employer indicated that they would be open to mediation. Therefore, in August, the Labour Board assigned a federal labour mediator so that both parties could engage in mediation while waiting for the establishment of the PIC. PSAC told the Labour Board that it expected the employer to come to mediation with a complete monetary proposal and with a response to the union’s pay and workforce adjustment (WFA) proposals. In September, the employer responded that they were no longer willing to move forward with scheduled mediation because they have no mandate, despite initially requesting continued negotiations and mediation.

The Labour Board has scheduled a Public Interest Commission for Parks Canada bargaining January 27 to 30, 2020.

What is a Public Interest Commission (PIC)?

Under the law that governs contract negotiations in the federal public service, once impasse is reached, a PIC is established to help the parties reach an agreement. The PIC is a panel of three people – a chairperson appointed by the Labour Board and nominees appointed by the union and the employer. The union and the employer submit briefs and explain their positions on the outstanding issues at a hearing with the PIC. The PIC then issues a report with recommendations for settlement. The recommendations are not binding.

Once the PIC releases its report on Parks bargaining, PSAC’s bargaining team will meet to discuss the recommendations. Traditionally, following this, PSAC’s negotiating team and government representatives return to the table to resume negotiations.

Will we strike?

Regardless of which party forms government after the fall federal election, PSAC will continue pressing for a fair deal that addresses Parks members’ demands. However, if PSAC and the government are still unable to reach an agreement after the PIC report is issued, Parks members will have the legal right to strike. All members impacted will have the opportunity to vote in favour or against strike action. In preparation for this possible situation, PSAC will ensure that strike training is offered to members in the coming months.

Source: PSAC

2019/05/06

Parks Canada: Negotiations progress gradually

This week, negotiations continued towards securing a new collective agreement for over 4,000 Parks Canada members. Bargaining teams from both sides met in Ottawa from April 30 to May 2.

PSAC’s Parks negotiating team saw some movement at the bargaining table, but in small increments. Although the employer did come to the table with more language in this round, they still showed reluctance to move on major items. Most of the negotiations this week focused on non-monetary articles.

Securing Phoenix protections

This week, our negotiating team tabled our Phoenix pay administration proposal, which includes language to secure interest on monies owed if the employer fails to pay employees on time. This provision also includes reimbursements for members who have to seek accounting and financial management services to remedy inaccurate income reporting. Also included are other provisions to protect employees such as deduction rules for overpayment and emergency salary advances. The employer has yet to respond to this proposal.

The importance of domestic violence leave

The highlight of the week was our presentation to the employer on the value of domestic violence leave. PSAC presented overwhelming research on what’s at stake for those experiencing domestic violence and how this impacts the workplace. Our team emphasized the importance of accommodations and the cost of doing nothing. The employer seemed receptive to this proposal, which resulted in a productive discussion.

No progress on key items

Discussions continued on other bargaining demands such as vacation leave, whistleblowing, the Joint Learning Program, designated paid holidays, vacation leave, injury on duty leave, and joining the National Joint Council. During this time our bargaining team secured minor improvements to harassment language and in the articles relating to the definition of family.

Bargaining team rejects clawbacks

Unfortunately, the employer continues to ask for concessions concerning seasonal employees. The employer wants to prorate the number of family-related days for seasonal employees which would ultimately reduce the amount of leave members would have access to. Our negotiation team firmly conveyed to the employer that we will not accept concessions.

Parks Canada negotiations are set to continue May 28 to 30.

Source: PSAC